


All Cats Are Grey in the Dark

by glymr



Category: DCU - Comicverse, Robin (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-17
Updated: 2009-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-04 01:33:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/704952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glymr/pseuds/glymr





	All Cats Are Grey in the Dark

He was reading in the back, some of the newer journals in veterinary medicine, when the chime of the door alerted him that he had a patient. He glanced at the clock - 2:30am - and crossed to the lobby.

A boy was standing there, probably elevenish, he guessed, though he might have just been small for his age. There were no parents to be seen, and the boy was sporting a split lip and a black eye.

"Are you the vet?" asked the boy.

"Yes," he said. "It looks like you need some attention yourself, though. There's a clinic down the road-"

The boy shook his head impatiently and drew something from beneath his coat. It was a kitten, a scraggly, black scrap of fur that had seen better days. The vet frowned and gently took it from the boy's hands. "Come on," he said, jerking his head toward the back room. The boy followed silently.

It didn't take long. "He's been very badly hurt," he said to the boy as he examined the small animal. "What happened?"

The boy's eyes flashed with a sudden anger, but his voice was steady. "It was some boys. They were...kicking it. Back and forth, like a ball."

The vet looked down at the kitten and up at the boy again. "You fought them."

The boy's lips twitched. "I've studied some karate," he said. "There were three of them, though. As soon as I could, I ran."

Meaning, as soon as he could grab the kitten. The vet sighed to himself.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Oh...it's Richard. Richard...Gray."

"That was a very brave thing you did, Richard."

"Thank you, sir." The boy's reply was mechanical; his eyes didn't leave the small, bedraggled creature on the white table.

"Where are your parents?"

"My mom works late," said the boy. "I...looked out of my window and saw what was happening. I felt it incumbent on me to...intervene. Don't worry, I'll take a cab home."

"All right." Something about the story seemed off, but the vet had other concerns.  "Richard," he said, and after a moment, the boy looked up. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."

The boy frowned. "I have money...and I can take care of him, I can--"

"All the money and care in the world aren't going to be able to fix him," said the vet gently. "He's broken too many bones, among other things."

"If he were a human--" he began fiercely.

"If he were a human, the doctors would make every effort to save him," said the vet. "But I still don't think he could be saved. He's bleeding inside, Richard. He's in a lot of pain. And...we have options to ease that pain that we wouldn't if he were human."

The boy's eyes widened, his face paling a little. "No. Oh, no. You mean putting him to sleep," he said.

The vet nodded. "Richard, even if by some miracle he survived this - and I think it very unlikely that he will - he would be severely crippled for the rest of his life, probably blind and without the full use of him limbs." The boy just shook his head, closing his eyes. "He's dying...he'll probably be dead by morning. You can choose to do nothing...or I can release him from the pain now," he finished, and waited.

The boy opened his eyes and blinked for a moment...then something hardened in his face. "Do it," he said.

The vet nodded and began preparing the I.V. The boy put a single, careful finger on the kitten's forehead, then leaned down to whisper something to it.

It didn't take long, it never did. The tiny, wounded animal opened its blue eyes for a moment when he doused its leg with the topical anesthesia, then closed them for the last time when he slid the needle in and the drugs poured into its system. The boy watched the entire thing dry-eyed. When it was over and the vet had removed the needle, he picked up the cold, limp ball of fluff, the final, flickering spark of life gone from the kitten's body, and began to tuck it under his coat again.

"I have to tell you," said the vet, "It's illegal in this state to bury animals in your yard."

The boy looked up at him. "What should I do with it?" he asked.

"We have a program where the bodies are incinerated," suggested the vet. "The ashes are buried afterwards." The boy just nodded and put the kitten back on the table.

"How much do I owe you?" asked the boy, and the vet had to wonder again about his family situation. The boy seemed confident of his ability to pay whatever sum the vet should name.

He took him back to the lobby and calculated the total. The boy just nodded and drew a small pouch from around his neck - he had a camera on a strap around it, too, the vet noted - and removed enough to cover the bill. The vet filled out the appropriate forms, including the one arranging for the creature's disposal. He hesitated over one field in particular.

"Did you have a name for him?" he asked.

The boy was quiet for a long minute, glancing toward the back room where the cat still lay, cold and lifeless, on the table.

"Jason," said the boy quietly. "His name was Jason."


End file.
